I see so many students at conventions who look more like they are at the beach or worse.

I am interested in hearing the different opinions on whether you require a dress code or standard for your students when taking classes at a conventions?

Maybe I am old fashion but things seem to be way out of hand at some of these with hardly any clothes, no tights, hair every where.

Yes! Our dancers must wear a leotard and tights to ALL classes, at the studio OR at a convention/workshop. When they are out of the studio taking class they must wear their warmup pants to start class. They are permitted to wear shorts under it and take off the pants if they are too warm. They are also permitted to wear a tank top over the leotard. Sometimes they stand out like a sore thumb amongst the bra-and-booty-short dancers! Our dancers actually thank us for making them wear this and think the other dancers look trashy (which leads to a lesson of different strokes for different folks!) and the parents are SOOOO grateful. It works for us!

I require my dancers to wear studio uniforms on the first day of the convention and whatever they want on the second day. The good news is that none of my dancers would even think of wearing the booty shorts (w/ no tights of course!) and the bra top. They aren't allowed to wear it at the studio so they don't have it in their closets! I do agree that it is a bit out of hand.
Here is a funny story-- one of my dancers (she's 12) is getting to the point where she sees all of these styles at the conventions and wants to be a part of it... so she asked her mom to buy her a halter bra top and booty shorts. Well, her mom bought it after talking to me (the girl never shows any skin whatsoever so I wasn't too concerned). She wear the halter bra top under her leotard and LSN tights with the shorts! hehe no problems there!

When my girls went to convention in chicago we all wore the exact same thing the first day Matching shirts, matching hair with ribbons. They LOVED it because it really set us apart from other studios. The second and third days I let them wear whatever, but I encourage them to wear bright colors and a ribbon or a bow in their hair that might distinguishe them from the other dancers for scholarships, etc. . . They really have a lot of fun dressing up and they color coordinate their whole outfit. It's cute and they like it! Next year we are going to have a whole lot of personalized team-wear, so they will have lots of choices.

Let me tell you. . .I was in Pittsburgh for NUVO and their were a couple girls wearing booty shorts and BATHING SUIT tops, not bras, but a bikini. .. I almost died.

We do the same thing as the above two posters. The kids wear their matching company leotards and their hair in a bun. They do stand out because they look professional. The second day they can wear any color leotard but still have to look put together and their hair has to be in a bun.

I have never understood the nearly naked look. I have been teaching for several years and have never worked for a studio that allows kids to wear that stuff to class. I guess someone out there has to, right?

SBSDS, I love that story. That would have been me

Glad to hear Owe are not the only ones. We usually allow some leeway during team practice in clothing but wnat the regular class professional look.

I like the idea of allow a little more leeway the second day without going overboard.

I love the story of your one student with the top abooty shorts under the others that is TOO priceless. Thank you for a smile tonight!

uh- just had this experience. Hair in a bun (regrdless of how other students have theirs) Logo shirts and bottoms that cover the bootie!

I'm glad I could give you all something to chuckle about! I wish I had a picture to share! She wears it to class all the time because it matches our team uniform perfectly! It's so cute~

Yes!!! I'm glad I am not the only one tired of seeing lack of professionalism at conventions. If they don't look sloppy, they look like they came out of a men's magazine. It drives me up a wall. My students wear a solid colored leotard and tights. They are allowed to wear shorts as long as they are black and don't have words on the butt.

Be careful of making students wear matching uniforms to conventions.
we had a dancer almost miss out on a scholarship at hollywood vibe, because she was in the same black and purple uniform as the rest of girls from our studio!
thank goodness one of the teachers realized and pulled her into the group that made it.
I recommend guidelines, not uniforms, ex:no bare midriffs

I own a large retail store....Whats up with these stupid Bootie Shorts & Bra Tops...I don't even want to carry them...People keep coming into the store and asking for them....EVEN IN SIZE 4-6 (CHILDRENS)...SICKENING!!!!! HUCHIEMOMMA!!!

Sorry....DRESS CODE....YES....COVER YOUR BODY AND LOOK NICE...NOT TO MUCH MAKE-UP.....Leotard, Tights & Shoes, HAIR UP!

i can't edit my post....stupid!

BOOTIE SHORT VENTING BY: everyones_a_star

Yes, I have a strict dress code that they must all look uniform with pink tights and a black leotard. It is the professional thing to do.

First I check to see if the organization requires a black leotard, which we have run into at times. If they have no specifications, then my girls all wear their Company leo, which is this fabulous fuchsia with rhinestoned straps and our logo embroidered on the front--they love it, & I think it builds team spirit & bonds the girls! Hair must be in a bun, no bangs, period. Company T-shirts & warmups when not in class.

We have no restictions on what the girls wear to dance conventions just the "dress professional" in the packet going home. None of the girls wear bare midriffs but they do wear booty shorts and some have been sent to change if they are too short i.e. the booty shorts that are now looking like briefs that I saw at Jump! Hello?! Your sixteen wearing an 8 year olds underwear!

I am 28 and far from conservative, but seeing all the skin at conventions/competitions makes me cringe. What happened to having a little class.

On that note it was great to see at Nuvo(wear naked seems de riguer) that the senior winner for scholorship was wearing knee length shorts and a tank top all weekend! Great dancing will trump bad naked dancing any day!

I have our students wear any color leotard that they choose, tan footless tights then we kinda booty shorts...A bit longer though that are embroyderd with our company logo and the students name on the thigh. We also have company tank tops that students can wear if they choose. We also have a different hair style that each level chooses....usually a low pony tail with a part for our younger dancers, and a poof infront with a mid pony for our older girls. All of our students in the intermediate to advance companies are required to wear light basic makeup to look well put together.

My biggest pet peeve is students who show up and look like they just rolled out of bed to come. It is entirely unprofessional. Sometimes I really wonder what goes through these teachers and studio owners heads when they allow students who are representing them to do this.